Fenton Adopt-A-Pet in need of donations

Volunteer Mackenzy Maddock is pictured at Adopt-A-Pet in Fenton spending time with Weezy the dog.

Last year, Adopt-A-Pet in Fenton found homes for more than 940 cats and dogs.

Adopt-A-Pet doesn't receive any county or government funding, and the more donations received, the more animals the nonprofit can help.

Currently, 112 animals live at the shelter or in foster homes, waiting for a family to take them home. Nearly two-third of the budget goes to veterinary care, while the rest is used for operational and building expenses.

Jody Maddock, the director of Adopt-A-Pet, said the well-being of each animal is taken care of while staying at the shelter.

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Through working at the shelter, Maddock said she has met cats and dogs who have gone through "some pretty unbelievable situations," like found living on the streets.

"They have taught me many life lessons on perseverance, unconditional love, forgiveness and survival. The animals give me a sense of calm, even the hyper ones. They make me laugh and give me a sense of purpose," Maddock said. "They can't speak for themselves so I'm glad that I can help."

She said she believes the animals wait for their "perfect match" to walk through the door. Puppies and kittens are usually at the shelter for a few weeks before they are adopted, while adult dogs are there for an average of a month and adult cats are there an average of three months.

All animals at the shelter are fixed, vaccinated, tested and microchipped before adoption.

Maddock described Adopt-A-Pet in Fenton, which received the 2011 Best of Fenton Award, as "the Ritz Carlton of shelters" where animals have rooms where they can freely roam, instead of small cages.

"The cats have open rooms with cat walks, big windows with bird and squirrel feeders outside the window, a separate ventilation system for each cat room, tons of toys, beds and volunteers loving on them," she said.

"The dogs have rooms with heated floors, kuranda dog beds, mind stimulating toys, an agility course in the summer, large fenced yards for play groups, a socialization room, training room and lots of volunteers who come to walk, socialize and generally just love them."

Maddock said she is proud to be a part of the organization.

"The volunteers are very passionate about what we do," she said.

Adopt-A-Pet in Fenton also offers a low cost spay and neuter program for people in Oakland, Genesee, Shiawassee and Livingston counties. The nonprofit also has a Trap, Neuter, Return program to help anyone caring for community cats.

Adopt-A-Pet is located at 13575 N. Fenton Road in Fenton. For more information and to donate, call 810-629-0723 or visit adoptapetfenton.com. The shelter is open 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.